It is a known fact that the cities where broken hearts go-Baguio and Sagada, are full every summer holiday, we went instead on the road less traveled. Have to convince my family to drive to Bontoc from Lepanto that Good Friday-the capital of Mountain Province,
Ilocandia is blessed with massive Spanish-colonial era churches, to which two of them belong to the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List. The mostly baroque churches were built under the supervision of the Agustinian Friars, mostly built of bricks and stone. While Laoag City has a
Little Otek and his family woke up very early and went downtown that cool February day. The sun hasn’t risen yet at the pine-covered hills of the hill station in the Cordilleras. Though sleepy, he was excited to head downtown. “Ma, bakit kelangan nating maaga?
Laoag International Airport (IATA: LAO/ICAO: RPLI) is the main gateway of Laoag City and Ilocos Provinces. Being the northernmost international airport in the Philippines, it has daily flights from Manila and some chartered flights overseas, particularly Taiwan and Mainland China.
The cold and crisp air of the north hits the shores of Ilocos Norte with a gentle yet furious demeanour. As the waves of amihan crash at the rugged shores, strange mossy leftovers started to scatter around. In fact, they abound the rugged and rocky
The unfortunate incident at Mamasapano in Maguindanao has triggered public’s interest on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and the on-going peace negotiations between the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). One of the things that both parties have been discussing is the
Many of us are familiar with Vigan’s Calle Crisologo, the center of Vigan’s Heritage Village. It gives us a glimpse of Spanish-colonial era Philippines with its preserved heritage houses or bahay na bato, almost perfectly preserved. It was this street that became the “Crown Jewel”
Vigan is already known all throughout with its Spanish-colonial buildings that line up the city’s center, especially in Calle Crisologo. The well-preserved “Heritage Village” has become the city’s masterpiece of urban planning, and at the same time, its crown jewel. Recently, the city has been
Over the past few years, Iloilo Dinagyang Festival’s fame has spread all throughout. For most tourists, and even locals, it’s all about those adrenaline-rushed street dance performances, outrageous costumes, and the painted warriors that either scare children or entertain them with all the moves. It
It is the first time in a decade that we would not be covering Dinagyang Festival in my hometown, Iloilo. Felt that we lost a part of 2015 since it has been one of our “personal annual pilgrimages” every January. The annual feast, which gathers
Pope Francis is coming over to the Philippines from 15-19 January, 2015. Millions of Filipino Catholics, faithful and visitors, are expected to grace Manila for the activities like the Holy Mass at Luneta; meeting at the MOA Arena, University of Santo Tomas, and Manila Cathedral;
It took an hour and a half for the Andas to pass the entire span of the museum and moved closer towards Quiapo. It only took out a kilometre out of its 7 kilometer journey back to the Basilica. We were already expecting that it’ll
Viva! Viva! Viva! Viva!!! Indayo!!! Indayo!!! Indayo!!! It was the battle cry of the devotees in the Traslacion. As the Black Nazarene inches towards the front of National Museum, you can feel the aura of people pouring their efforts towards the small carriage carrying the
One word: Surreal. This describes best the Procession of the Black Nazarene, or Traslación de Nazareno (literally “The transfer of the Black Nazarene”), one of the Philippines’ most anticipated and well-known festivities of devotion and folk Catholicism. Thousands (millions as the authorities claimed) of faithful
The Traslacion de Nazareno, or the traditional foot procession of the image of the Black Nazarene, is one of the largest religious processions in the Philippines. Every year, the faithful pull the carriage carrying the miraculous image of the Black Nazarene to the Quiapo Basilica-a